News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-11-24
AUNT HANNAH'S WAY.
A THANKSGIVING SKETCH.

''What Is Jane doing now?" asked Mrs.
Harding, locking up from the pie-crust
she was crimp'nc.
Laughing" replied Aunt Hannah,
curtly, land she always IS laughing now
adays What does make that girl laugh
so mu; h :"
II hadn't noticel it" said Mrs. Hard
ing; in fact, I have been so busy lately
/ haven't had time TO notice. But I'm
glad if she is any happier A week or
two ago she seemed cry sad, and found
her a number of times just at nightfall
standing ont under the willow trees near
the water-drain, crying"
Just then Samantha Heath, the hired
girl, gave queer little cry, half between
a cough and sGeeze, and as Mrs. Hard
ing turned around, she caught her maid
Of-all-work with an unmistakable grin on
her broad face.
well, Samantha" she questioned,
rather sharply, didn't l remark to you
at the time about James low spiritsl"
''Yes'm, " replied Samantha, with the
corners of her mouth drawing up, and
the corners of her eyes drawing down, as
she kept on chopPing her mince pie
meat.
"Oh nothing said Samantha, ''only
Jane Is mostly merry or sad, as the old
song goes, according to the mood of the
girl IN the story she IS reading. The one
now is a girl with very red lips and white
teeth. II seems to suit Jane, for her lips
are amazing red, and her teeth are as
white as a dogs teeth. OF course she
overdoes it, but that is natural, 1 sup
pose"
Mrs. Harding looked at Samantha with
ominous little red spots showing them
selves on her ct fair face.
"DO you mean TO tell me that my only
daughter is so simple"
Nothing simple about it, I'm sure, -
interrupted the hired girl. "It's the
fact. Jane tells me about it every day
when 60 up to do the chamber-work;
the girl must have something to occupy
her mind, and she don't have any work
TO do"
That's just it, y said Aunt Hannah,
interrupting in her turn, ''just the secret.
She don't have anything to do, and the
gir.s ought to be busy. Now she might
Just as well be chopping that mince- meat,
or pairing those apples, or crimping those
pics, as any one else.
" Jane never has been very well, you
know, Aunt Hannah
Size has always Eeen made to think
she wasn't" replied Aunt Hannah.
.'What Jane needs now is exerc Sc. II
she was Tomp, l could stand it but fol
a great, tall, healthy AMI hearty girl like
her to sit in her chamber hour after hour,
and rock and cad novels"
Susette' in the Sweet Swans OF
Savoy ALWAYS sat in her chamber" said
Samatha; land most all the story-book
girls do. They always go to their own
rooms
They'd go to the kitchen were they
nv girls, muttered Aunt Hannah.
Il am sure Janey is not in her room
now" said Mrs. Harding triumphantly.
g. You Just said she was laughing"
''No; OF course she was not IN her
room then" replied Samantha. ''The
girl in the lasta book she got from the
library goes out and takes quiet walk
with happy smile on her lips "
Good Mrs Harding was really angry
now. The red spots on her checks deep
ened to carnine, as Jane came slowly
and steadily up the walk, with book in
her hand.
look at that girls stilted, unnatural
walk !" exclaimed Aunt Hannah. 'At
her age she ought to come with a skip
and jump, as unconcious of her feet as
bird is of its wings. What book have
you there, Jane2 Let me see, it please, "
went on Aunt Hannah. as the young girl
entered the large, neat kitchen.
Jane unwillingly handed it over, with
a sicklY smile.
1" Humph." said Aunt Hannah.
ICXV bara ara Won CrOipG dpar2'
ITO my ROOM" replied Jane, with a
smile broader and sicklier than the tirst
one, "when you are through with my
hook" and she leaned her shoulder
languidly against the door, clasped he
slim. white hands in front of her, anC
looked through the window away to tn
ruseet hills, with a smile that showed he
white. even teeth, still resting upon he
face.
Aunt Hannah and Samantha exchanged
plances and smiles. Mrs. Harding say
It. and said, in peremptory tone:
"Jane, go up stairs, braid up you
hair. take off that ridiculous bow iron
the top of your head, put on your every
dav boots and an apron, and then com
down into the kitchen and wash up tn
baking dishes"
Jane slowly turned around, gave he
fond mother a most whitening look
which was copied as nearly as possible
from character in the story she haC
read few dlys before, and returned, il
scornful tone:
''Wash the baking dishesl Mel VIII.
cannot Samantha do it? | never WASHED
baking dishes in my life"
"Time you had, . said Aunt Hannah
who had tucked the book under he
apron and gone ON with her apple pairing
Jane went upstairs to her room, bu
qut forgot to come down again; an
Samantha washed up the dishes.
"Just as | told you,' said the hire
girl TO Aunt Hannah. "She won't d
ANYTHING but read those foolish Store
from the circulating library at the dru
sto~e. and then act out the character
they tell about"